Emergency Action for Immigrant Rights!

[UFPJ Action Alerts <listmaster at unitedforpeace.org>]

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Tell Congress: Vote No on Sensenbrenner's, Specter's, or Any Other
Anti-Immigrant Bill!

Congress is on the verge of passing legislation that will decide how
immigrants will be treated for decades to come. 11 million undocumented
immigrants and those who help them get food, a job, or a home would be
turned into criminals -- unless we act now!

A powerful conservative alliance sold the Iraq war in the name of making
people safe from terrorism. Now they want us to believe that our security
depends on making being in the U.S. without proper papers a felony and
aiding undocumented immigrants a federal crime. Our harsh immigration laws
already break up hundreds of thousands of families and often leave
U.S.-born children without a mom or dad. This vicious attempt to manipulate
people's post-9/11 fears would further strip immigrants of rights all
people should have.

This weekend, more than a million immigrant rights supporters marched in
Los Angeles and in other cities around the country to protest this
anti-immigrant attack and demand that immigrants are treated with the
dignity and respect that should be accorded to every human being. On March
10 up to 300,000 marched in Chicago. Another protest is taking place today
in Washington, DC, as the Senate Judiciary Committee begins debate on
immigration reform.

CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY
United for Peace and Justice urges you to add your voice to the chorus that
is calling for real immigration reform that does not criminalize immigrant
adults and children or the social workers, nurses and others who provide
them with help:

Capitol Switchboard: (888) 355-3588 (toll-free) or (202) 334-3121

Please call both of your Senators TODAY. You can ask for the Senator by
name at the number above. If you don't know his/her name or the line is
busy, see:
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=99373519&url_num=5&url=http://www.senate.gov/>http://www.senate.gov
and click on "Senators" at the top left.

Tell your Senator to vote NO on HR 4437, the Sensenbrenner bill, Senator
Arlen Specter's bill, or any other version that retains anti-immigrant
provisions. Instead of undermining civil rights and civil liberties, they
should support immigration reform that enables undocumented immigrants to
legalize their status and gain a path to citizenship, reunifies immigrant
families, stops mandatory deportations and indefinite detentions, and
supports the rights of all workers.

To find out about protests in your community, see:
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=99373519&url_num=6&url=http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/>http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/

MORE INFORMATION
In December 2005, the House of Representatives passed HR 4437, which was
introduced by Representative James Sensenbrenner. HR 4437 is a punitive,
anti-immigrant bill that would, among other things, make an undocumented
immigrant's presence in the US a federal crime; fund 700 miles of wall on
the US-Mexico border; and expand the definition of smuggling to include
assistance to an undocumented person.

Now the Senate Judiciary Committee is considering its own immigration
legislation, starting with Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter's
"Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006." This alleged "compromise"
bill is in fact virulently anti-immigrant. Specifically, it would:

Make it a felony to be "out of status" or in technical violation of
immigration laws. A student who drops a course, a lawful permanent resident
who does not notify DHS that she moved, the mother of a sick, US citizen
child who overstays her visitor visa, an undocumented farm worker -- all
could be arrested, prosecuted criminally, and/or deported.
Make it a felony to help an undocumented immigrant find a job, a place to
live, or to get to a grocery store, even if you are a religious
institution, family members, or a nonprofit organization. Green cardholders
convicted of "Good Samaritan" acts can get deported.
Force local and state police to enforce immigration laws -- immigrants may
be afraid to call 911 for help.
Deport more Green Card Holders for smaller criminal offenses.
Put more money into detaining immigrants, a costly and overcrowded system
that is already full of abuse.
Make it more difficult to gain legal status or get citizenship.
Drastically limit the federal courts' abilities to review immigration
decisions -- forcing all appeals into a single court in order to silence
courts around the country that have found Immigration's actions to be
wrong. Many people's appeals will just be thrown out or dismissed without
being heard.
For more information on the current immigration legislation, visit:
-
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=99373519&url_num=7&url=http://www.nnirr.org/>National
Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
-
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=99373519&url_num=8&url=http://www.rightsworkinggroup.org/>Rights
Working Group
-
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=99373519&url_num=9&url=http://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/>Detention
Watch Network
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=99373519&url_num=10&url=http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/>
Thanks as always for your hard work on behalf of peace and justice,

United for Peace and Justice


UFPJ Needs Your Financial Support!
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<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=99373519&url_num=11&url=http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate>http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate
today.

APRIL 29
New York City
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=99373519&url_num=12&url=http://www.april29.org/>March
for Peace, Justice, and Democracy
End the war in Iraq -- bring the troops home!
Unite for change -- let's turn our country around!


ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
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